Inspections Targeting High-Risk Activities and Sectors and Enforcement Actions Taken for Non-compliance

54 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower (a) from 2019 to 30 September 2021, how many regular routine inspections have been conducted by the Ministry targeting high-risk activities and sectors, broken down by year; (b) what has been the number of non-compliances observed during the inspections; and (c) how many stop work orders, fines and notices of non-compliance have been issued during the same period.

Dr Tan See Leng: Each year, MOM carries out about 15,000 inspections, of which about 5,000 target higher risk sectors. Apart from 2020, where suspension of workplace activities reduced the necessity for inspections, the level of inspections has been stable.

More than 9,000 non-compliances are detected in the course of these inspections. MOM has employed data analytics to better identify higher risk workplaces in high-risk sectors. In line with this, we detected slightly more non-compliances per inspection (1.95) compared to in 2019 (1.74).

The majority of the non-compliances are not major. In about 60 cases annually, the unsafe practices are sufficient to warrant a stop work order. In another 700 cases annually, we issue composition fines. For the remainder, MOM issues notices of non-compliance.